As the 2024 LPGA Tour season enters the final stretch, and with only a few weeks left, players have a lot on the line. In the coming events, much attention will be paid to those players near the top of the Race to the CME Globe, but it's critical to remember that those on the outside looking in might have more to gain with a good week, as these upcoming tournaments will be key in determining the final standings.
The Race to the CME Globe is a season-long points competition in which the top 60 LPGA Tour athletes battle for entry into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. A win at Tiburón Golf Club will not only come with the Race to the CME Globe Champion title, but it adds an impressive $4 million to an athlete’s season earnings, making every point and every round count with only four tournaments remaining on the schedule.
This week, the spotlight shifts to the other end of the rankings – those from 58 to 65 in the Race to the CME Globe. For these players, each round is of monumental importance. This week's Maybank Championship could be the difference between a trip to Naples and a shot at a share of a record-breaking $11 million purse in the CME Group Tour Championship or an early exit and the end of their 2024 season.
Ashleigh Buhai is currently just inside the top-60 cutoff in Race for the CME Globe, but at No. 59, the 2022 AIG Women's Open champion can't take anything for granted. Buhai has only two top-10 finishes this season, a sixth-place result at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G and a tie for sixth at last week's BMW Ladies Championship. A solid performance in Malaysia is not a must for her to hang on to her spot, but it would be ideal with only four events remaining, as it would go a long way toward locking up a spot in Naples.
Story by Jennifer Meyer
